During last Friday’s trading, purchase prices mostly remained within the previous week’s range, with isolated fluctuations limited to ₴0.5–1 per kg. In western regions, prices tended to gravitate toward ₴97/kg, in central regions they ranged between ₴96–100/kg, and in the east, most operators targeted ₴100+ per kg. The average market price settled at ₴97.4/kg — 0.2% higher than in the first ten days of the month.
Supply of slaughter pigs remains rather limited. At the end of July and the beginning of August, this shortage prompted some procurement companies to “play it safe” by fixing higher prices on reserved volumes to ensure that their raw material needs were met. Meanwhile, some processors reported reducing procurement volumes in response to slower end sales.
Meat processors remain cautious in their forecasts for the coming week but largely expect further price stabilization. However, some market players predict a sharp and sudden drop in prices soon, citing weaker trade activity compared to a month ago and competition from imported pork. Still, a number of buyers note that the supply of market-weight domestic pork remains weak, and imported raw materials cannot always serve as a viable alternative to chilled pork of local origin. Additionally, according to some processors, pork purchased from households is significantly more expensive than from industrial producers.
